News

Girard names new band director

Local News July 14, 2026

GIRARD — The Girard Board of Education has named Jacob Benson as the new Girard High School band director. Benson was approved for a one-year contract at $45,400 on Monday and will handle duties as the marching band director. Benson replaces David Colella, who served 12 years as band director in the district and is leaving for a position with Aurora schools. Colella’s resignation is effective July 31. The board at a special meeting Monday also approved Travis Hecker as technology supervisor at $62,440 effective Aug. 1 on a one-year contract. He replaces John Bello, who ...

Summer weather coming in hot

Girard enacts one-year ban on data centers

Local News July 14, 2026

GIRARD — The city is the latest community to place a moratorium on issuing permits for data centers to allow for more time for researching and reviewing them. After discussion and three readings, city council on Monday gave final reading to putting a 12-month moratorium in place. Councilwoman Lily Martuccio, D-at Large, said the moratorium will allow for council and the administration to have more time to study the impact data centers will have on the community. Martuccio said once the moratorium is in place, it will allow officials to develop zoning guidelines to ensure public ...

Quaker Steak & Lube cuts Boardman location

Business July 14, 2026

Quaker Steak & Lube’s Boardman location has closed to become the second franchised restaurant under the JDK Management Co. umbrella to end operations this month. The business announced the move Monday morning on social media. “After three decades of service in Boardman, including the last 15 years in our current location, we have made the very difficult decision to permanently close the Boardman, Ohio Quaker Steak & Lube location, effective immediately,” the post said. “We want to extend a heartfelt ‘ThanQ’ to our guests, team members & community for your loyalty, support ...

Butler carries on tradition of championing American art

Local News July 14, 2026

YOUNGSTOWN — For 89 years, the National Midyear Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art has provided artists from across the country with an opportunity to place their work before one of the nation’s most respected juried exhibitions. This year’s exhibition, which opened Sunday and continues through Aug. 30, carries that tradition forward with 84 works by 79 artists from 15 states selected from a field of 829 entries submitted by 320 artists from 28 states. The exhibition remains one of the country’s longest-running juried shows dedicated to contemporary American ...